Warrior Wills
by Prettywitchiusaka
Summary: We all know Rachel's story in ZERO. But what if things had prceeded differently? What if she was never a Citizombie? What if she was given a chance to stand and fight? 60/362 in last part Complete
1. Chapter 1

Warrior Wills

Will One: To Resist

by Prettywitchiusaka

Bright, warm, bustling, welcoming; all of these are only a few that could describe the usual radiance of the Kids Next Door's Global Command high atop Earth's moon. The key words here though are "usual radiance", for the base seemed to continue loosing all its luster as Grandfather's citizombies continued to invade the base, further implementing his world domination desires. Nothing could be used to describe this seeming genocide spreading across the base's Main Bridge as operatives both fought, and screamed in remorse. They begged for their humanity to be spared, but the citizombies paid no mind to this as they continued to transform these children, causing their loyalties to slip away. If there was one that could be used to describe this mess though, it was chaotic. But even amongst the commodity of chaos incuing, some operatives such as Supreme Leader Rachel McKenzie, or Numbuh 362 chose to ignore the onslaught of screams as her mind continued to focus on one priority; getting her her now zombified and unconscious Drill Sergeant friend Patton Drilovsky, or Numbuh 60 to safety. Unfortunately though, this proved no small task for the young female leader.

True, she felt more comfortable knowing that he would be safe, but it didn't help that dragging him by the arms was an exhausting task for someone as small as her. Regardless though, Rachel continued to drag him across the floor until she reached one of the sides of the staircase. As soon as she reached her destination, the young blonde proceeded to gently place her friend down on the floor as she felt a small smile encompass her smile, relief beginning to overcome her as she felt that now he was in a safe zone for now. Despite this however, the young girl could not help but feel sorrow overtake her the more she stared at her beloved friend; it pained her to see him as this horrid monster, to see him abandon his values in favour of what he had been brainwashed to believe. It made her almost feel as though his current state was in some way her fault, even though she played no fault in his demise or the utter chaos of this incident.

"I'm so sorry Patton", the young girl softly said as she tearfully caressed his old cheek with her gloved hand.

"I wish that none of this was real...because I can only imagine the kind of suffering you're going right now...", she continued in a whispered, almost tearful tone as she bent down and gently kissed his old, wrinkly cheek, sorrow continuing to dominate her as her gaze continued to stay focused on her friend.

"Get away from me ye' zombie rejects", shreiched a familiar Irish sounding voice, one that was enough to startle Rachel out of her solitary state to turn and realize where the voice had come from; it had come from none other than the Kids Next Door's new Global Tactical Officer Fanny Fulbright, or Numbuh 86, who was now fending off a pack of Citizombies.

True, she was doing well as she used her standard martial arts training and advanced gunmanship to fend off the zombies attacking her, but she still found herself outnumbered. A fact which frightened the young Supreme Leader as she grabbed a hold of her Yield staff and ran towards her friend.

"Fanny", Rachel shouted in panic, her voice being loud enough for the Irish redhead to notice her dear friend's presence.

"Rachel, get outta here", Fanny shrieked to her on-coming friend as she blasted a Citizombie with her trusty MUSKET. Despite knowing her friends words rang true, the young blonde refused to give into defeat as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Forget it! I'm not leaving you, or Numbuh 2 behind", the young girl replied in a tone of determination and nobility, one which could only annoy the freckled banshee.

"Look lass; when it comes down to it, I'd rather be the one te' sacrifice me' principles and spare you", Irish redhead replied in a genuinely stern yet somewhat annoyed tone, one which brought a look of surprise to her dear blonde friend's face. "Now do us all a favour and run for it ye' selfless dolt-"

Was all the angered redhead could muster before she felt herself being socked hard in the stomach, a sight which not only terrified, but sent shivers down Rachel's spine as she watched her friend collapse helplessly to the ground. The urge to stay and fight back was now as strong as it could possibly be for the young Supreme Leader, and yet somehow, she managed to discover a way of resistance and sprint out of the once magnificent room in heart-wrenching regret. She never looked back, she never even spoke, all she could do was run as that bright light engulfed her dear friend.

...

A deafening silence seemed to curse the room as the demonic figure known as Grandfather paced (floated really) the stage. A large bowl of creamy tapioca was ever so present in his old hand as he paced in impatient silence; he was awaiting the mild triumph of knowing that the Kids next Door would belong to him, and yet wondering if it would ever come. His period of waiting however, came to a halt upon hearing the Convention Centre monitor screen turn on automatically. Feeling evil delight overtake him, the old man felt his signature creepy smile adorn his face as he turned to face a horrid sight; an old, evil looking Fanny.

"Good day to you, my dear", the satanic demon politely remarked. "I trust that you are the Kids Next Door's Supreme Leader?"

"Fraid te' say that I'm not, master. I am merely the newly appointed Global Tactical Officer, Numbuh 86", Fanny replied in her thick Irish accent, an answer which seemed to slightly anger the black bearded man.

"I see...would you by any chance know if your darling Supreme Leader has fallen to my influence", he asked rather politely, attempting to keep his annoyance at bay.

" I doubt it, me' former self let her escape before she could become one of us", she replied.

"Yeah, you could even say that Fanny lent a "hand" in her escape", the now zombified Hoagie stated with great glee as he laugh at his own joke. A joke which which not only annoyed Fanny, but also Grandfather as well.

"Shut-up", the Irish redhead screeched as she whacked him hard on the head.

"Thank-you", the masterful demon calmly replied. " Now, in regards to your little friend. Obviously, you joining our ranks happened only recently, so she couldn't have gotten very far. That being said, I suggest that you begin searching for her, so that she does not feel "left out" in any way."

"I humbly accept, Master", the Irish redhead respectfully replied as she bowed towards the demonic man, causing a smile to run across his old face once more.

"No way, I should go and capture Numbuh 362. Her guts'll be bursting so hard from my jokes that she'll be completely defenceless", the older Hoagie replied rather triumphantly.

"You couldn't joke yer' way out of a fight, even if ye' tried. Besides, I was her friend, so I should go after her", the old banshee replied as other transformed operatives began to chime in, arguing over who should get to transform their once beloved leader.

The arguing continued for almost seemed like an eternity as operatives continued to talk, debating who had the best skill level meant to capture Rachel. As much as they enjoyed arguing with each other however, it continued to anger their so called master ever more so as he finally opened his mouth to speak.

"Enough", the satanic demon yelled at the monitor screen, frightening his minions just enough for them to stop their endless bickering.

"Now despite your squawking, you all seem rather eager to fulfil this task, so I have decided to make this task much easier on you; the first to find your little leader transformed or otherwise will receive part of my will money as payment", he explained to his minions, their giant, yellow eyes lighting up with great delight as he said those words.

"Thank you Master", the Citizombies upon the Main Bridge simultaneously said with great glee.

"Yes, yes, now all of you, go to your task before I loose my patience", he said in a slightly annoyed tone as the Citizombies ran off ready to show that each of them was worthy of that money in some way or another. What they failed to see however, was their very leader herself hiding in the hallway rafters, a look of stern anger clear on her face as she recalled the feeling of disgust she felt towards the old man's words.

"Not on my watch", she whispered in stern determination as she quietly leaped to the floor and snuck her way into the Main Bridge.

Back at the Convention Centre itself, Grandfather continued to smile evilly as he watched the monitor screen automatically turn off. An evil chuckle escaping his lips as he turned to face the front of the stage.

"What a bunch of suckers", the satanic demon evilly retorted as he went to eat a spoonful of Tapioca.

"Hey", replied numerous voices, ones that surprised Grandfather as looked up to see a sea of visibly angry looking Citizombies.

"Oh come now, as if I would share my hard-earned will money with the likes of you", the old man replied in his usually arrogant, yet oddly annoyed sounding tone.

That evil smile of his however, returned to his face upon hearing the monitor screen automatically turn itself on once more. Feeling somewhat triumphant at this point, the satanic demon turned to face the monitor screen in great delight. What he saw however, came as a great shock to his old eyes; what adorned the monitor screen was a youthful, beautiful little girl with golden blonde hair, a stern look upon her young face as she stared down upon the slightly bewildered, yet calm looking man who lay in her vision.

"Hello Grandfather", the young girl said in a stern, yet rather soft and polite spoken tone.

"Well, what a pleasure it is to make your acquaintance, my dear", the demonic man replied in a rather polite yet soft spoken tone. "I presume that you are the moon's true "Queen"?"

"You'd be correct in that presumption", she calmly replied. "My name is Rachel McKenzie, or Numbuh 362, the current Supreme Leader of the Kids Next Door."

"Rachel...What a pretty name for such a pretty little brat", he replied in a low tone of arrogance, one which angered Rachel slightly.

"It's a lot better than using an alias like Grandfather", the young blonde replied in a stern yet cold sounding tone, her words angering the old man ever so.

"I see...Well, getting past that, I must admit that I am quite impressed with you my dear; I was certain that you would have already fallen alongside your comrades, which would give me complete control of your organization. But as I understand it, you were...assisted in your escape", he said in a rather polite, yet sinister sounding tone.

Despite his words though, the young girl kept her ground, her face never once twitching from that stern expression.

" Indeed, it helps to have friends in high places", she replied in a calm yet cold sounding tone.

"Indeed", he agreed in a rather blunt tone, all the while clearing his throat.

"You know, it's quite funny how things turn out sometimes; one minute you are a beloved figure worth rescuing, the next you become the hunted escapist of the flock", the satanic demon replied in a rather sinister yet evil sounding tone, one that did nothing to make the young girl flinch once more.

"Perhaps...but considering my excellent spy skills, I wouldn't consider being hunted down a major priority for myself at this point. What I would consider a major priority for myself right now is to find a way of defeating you", the young girl replied in a calm, yet stern sounding tone.

And yet as she said her piece, all Grandfather could do was smile arrogantly at her, amused by her words as she continued to spout them.

"I would spare yourself the time time you would waste devising such a thought my dear. By now, most if not all of your dear subordinates have pledged their allegiance to me, and would now gladly sacrifice your freedom to appease my desires. Do you honestly think that you could stand a chance against a being as powerful as myself", he asked her in delighted, yet sinister tone.

Despite this however, Rachel continued to do nothing more as she continued to stare rather sternly at the old man before her. She knew that he was trying all he could to overpower her mind, an outcome she refused to let come to pass.

" I may not be a powerful warrior like some of my friends and acquaintances, but if there is one thing that I'm good at, it's obtaining information without anyone knowing I was ever there. Besides, there's one small fact that you seem to be overlooking; I know my operatives very well, more than you would ever care to know. As a result, it will be much easier to avoid becoming your minion at all costs", the young girl replied in a stern, yet calm sounding tone.

The deep look of stern determination in her eyes however, was enough for Grandfather to feel himself building up anger towards the little girl. "Why will she not admit defeat and surrender", he wondered as he continued to smile evilly towards her, acting almost as if her words had not fazed him.

"You seem rather confident in that statement, it's just too bad that you are wasting all of that energy for such a lost cause", the satanic man replied in his rather sinister tone, one which did not faze Rachel in the slightest.

"You know, it's funny; I actually felt that you tell me your previous statement sooner or later. And in hindsight, I was right", she calmly yet sternly replied. "My relentlessness may seem humorous to you Grandfather, but it's the strength of my passion and the love of my friends that keeps me going."

"Therefore, as long as the passion of the Kids Next Door burns inside of me, I will find a way to end your reign of tyranny, even if it leads to nothing but failure", the young girl replied as the sternness in her voice continued to grow, alerting the old man to her fiery determination as his anger continued to rise in silence.

"What noble intention you have. It's just too bad that once you surrender that your stubbornness and resistance will have lead to your downfall", the evil man sinisterly replied, his comment only deepening the stern look of determinacy on Rachel's face. "Eventually, you will have no choice but to bow down to my every whim like the little puppet you will become, surrendering your childish organization to me without a second thought."

And as he said his well constructed words, that devilish smile of his adorned his face once more, almost as if he was mocking her in some way. Regardless of his intent, the only thing that changed upon Rachel's face was her expression; it become one less filled with stern authority, and more so one of combined stern yet angered authority.

"Then let me make this statement clear to you;...the Kids Next Door will never be yours to own, not as long as I have my own will", the young girl replied in a stern yet angry tone, one which brought an expression of pure shock to overcome Grandfather's face before her face vanished from the screen above him.

Rachel's presence may no longer be with the crowd present in the room, but it was certainly still felt as the Citizombie's began to chatter, surprised what they'd just witnessed. But if anyone was feeling both shock and surprise, it was the satanic demon himself as he continued to stare at the screen in shock, only for his expression to change as he felt his repressed anger beginning to bud, anger so consuming that it caused him to literally crush the bowl of Tapioca once present in his right hand.

"If there is one thing I despise more than snot nosed brats, it's a woman with a mind of her own", the old man said in deep anger to himself as he continued to replay her last words to himself over and over in his mind, allowing for the ever present Tapioca to slowly drip down his old black hand.

End Will One


	2. Chapter 2

Warrior Wills

Will Two: To Fight

by Prettywitchiusaka

To some, it would seem odd that an incident such as Grandfather's reawakening would not stir the eerie hallways of Global Command. But to others, this little oddity didn't seem too out of place; to them, it almost seemed as though it blended in perfectly with the circumstances of the situation at hand, giving these hallways a much more eerie atmosphere than usual. Uninviting or not though, these hallways would not stay silent for long as Sector V's British bald leader Nigel, or Numbuh 1 raced through them as if he were a mildly frightened squirrel. Alongside him ran his mutant teammate and friend Alex, or Numbuh 273, who seemed just as anxious as her team leader and friend. The two continued to run as if there was a shared source of panic between them. But in all honesty, how could there not be when they were begin chased by their usually pathetic enemy; the Toilenator?

The old villain growled in aggression as he continued to chase his frightened victims through the hallways, feeling confident that he would be victorious against the bald boy and his powerful friend for once. Luckily for his victims though, their strong legs and mobility carried them far enough for the pair to safely rally behind the nearest doorway. It was only a matter of time before the Toilenator could reach his victory, only to have it literally slammed in his face as Nigel used all of his strength to close the heavy metallic door that imprinted his now old face.

"I will flush you", the Toilenator cried as he attempted to open the door the young bald boy attempted to keep closed.

"Shut the door Two-Seventy-Three! Shut the door", Nigel screamed in aggressive determination as he fought to keep the door closed.

As if on cue, Alex felt a surge of power overcome her body as she grabbed the giant safe handle with her telekinesis, beginning to turn the heavy knob clockwise. Using both hands to get it moving, she then resorted to using one hand soon afterwards, continuing to movie it in a spherical motion akin to the knob's design. Hearing a click in the lock was the bald boy's cue to let go of the knob as both him and his mutant friend fell back onto the door, allowing exhaustion to overtake them as they began to pant in heavy unison.

"I never thought it was actually possible", Nigel said in a tone of exhausted disbelief.

"You mean that we'd actually have to take on zombies a second time", Alex asked in a tone of blunt exhaustion.

"No, I never thought that the Toilenator could actually be threatening", he replied in disbelief once more.

"Oh yeah", she replied in a tone of mild amazement. "It's amazing what a little boost in power can do to you."

"Yeah...almost a little too amazing if you ask me", the young boy replied in mild disbelief once more as he began to walk forward once more, Alex immediately following him in pursuit as he did so.

"I sure hope Sector Z's okay though", the mutant girl said in a low tone of concern.

"I'm sure they're doing fine", the British bald boy calmly replied, causing a look of subtle surprise to appear on his friend's face.

"What makes you so sure", she asked.

"Just a hunch; Sector Z has become legendary for their straight cunning and sly wit and intelligence, traits they retained even as the Delightful Children. So with that in mind, I'm sure they'll be fine on their own", the British boy calmly explained to his friend.

"Hmm, I guess when you look at it that way, they probably will be okay on their own", the mutant brunette replied in a tone of subtle realization.

"Yeah...I just wish that they could stay as they are now...then that way, they'd be free of Father's influence", he replied in a somewhat saddened tone, a tone which brought a dead silence upon the surrounding area. A silence which brought deeper concern to the mutant brunette as she stared at her melancholy leader, concerned enough to open her mouth a break the sudden silence.

"Uno-san...", she began in a low, yet concerned tone.

"I've been thinking about this for awhile now...and I've realized that...even if your dad has legendary status, he might not want to stay in operation after Grandfather's defeat and fight along side us", she calmly replied, her response being all it took to bring her wide eyed friend to a halt.

"And for that matter...Even if he did wish to do so, I don't think that Global Command would allow him special status, given his age...Therefore, I have to ask; are you sure you'd be okay with that, enough that you'd want to continue your father's plan", the mutant brunette asked as she finished her answer, awaiting her friend's response in concern.

It took awhile, but the young girl found herself continuing to be overtaken by anxiety as Nigel turned to face her, a blunt yet determined look clear on his face as he did so.

"I won't lie to you Two-Seventy-Three...I love my dad very much as he is, even if we don't do the type of stuff that I'd consider fun...Now that I know of his legendary status however...I would like him to be my dad...and my idol...", the young bald boy calmly replied as he breathed a deep sigh.

"But I want to stop Grandfather just as much as he does...So regardless of what decision he makes afterwards...I'll just have to learn to accept it because of how I feel...", the suave British boy calmly replied, a reply which caused his mutant friend's face to light up with a small smile.

"Hmmhmm...How in character of you", she replied in a mild joking manner, causing him to return a small smirk.

"Thanks...Now let's get going, we don't have much time", Nigel commanded as he switched back to determined mode, which in turn caused Alex to return to determined mode along with him.

"Right", she replied in a determined tone as they began their journey, until that is, a giant metallic boom stopped them.

"What was that", Nigel asked in a determined yet panicked tone.

" I don't know...", the young mutant panickingly replied, only to become overtaken by surprise as her aura powers began to kick in. "But for some reason...I thought I sensed a Pure White Aura..."

"What", he surprisingly asked as he did a double take towards his friend. "But I thought you said that you and I were only Pure White Auras on this base!"

"Well I probably couldn't sense it at the time", she replied in a bewildered tone. And besides, who knows? Maybe it's a slight miscalculation on my part."

"Funny, I recall you telling us that you powers were always accurate", the young British boy replied in annoyed disbelief.

"I said my powers are only 95% accurate, I never said they were always accurate. You should've listened more closely", the mutant girl replied in an arrogant, yet annoyed tone which only furthered her friend's annoyance.

"I was listening-", Nigel began as he felt himself cut off as the two friends heard a pair of footsteps drop gracefully to the ground, beginning to walk in their direction.

Determined looks now adorned their faces as the British bald boy began to position himself to fight, only to become surprised by a prepared Alex stepping in front of him. Her eyes now glowed a menacing pink, and her hands were now shrouded in a deep pink glow.

"What are you doing", he asked her.

"Guarding you, just so that you don't run the risk of becoming someone you're not", she determinedly replied, only for Nigel to become further annoyed with her.

"Oh come on Two-Seventy-Three; if I've been this careful for this long, what makes you think I'd risk my life when we're this close", the young boy asked in a rather annoyed, almost angered tone.

"Well considering what got us into this mess in the first place, I'm wouldn't be surprised if you pulled a reckless stunt at this point", Alex replied in an equally annoyed manner.

Their banter however was cut off upon hearing the same steps move closer towards them, only further preparing the two friends. A moment of silence however allowed for their guard to slip, enough though for the attacker to sock the mutant girl hard in the face and collapse her to the ground.

"Two-Seventy-Three", Nigel replied in a panic as he collapsed to his knees, attempting to help her up.

"Daijobu", the mutant girl calmly replied as she rubbed her chin, all the while muttering the Japanese phrase for "I'm alright."

She may have been okay, but it didn't stop the alleged "enemy" from walking towards them, allowing for them to become over flooded by determination. But what appeared out of the shadows, came not only as a surprise to them. But also their "enemy".

"Numbuh 362", the British boy replied in a tone of obvious surprise.

"Rachel-san", the mutant brunette replied in his exact same tone.

"Alex...Nigel...You're both okay...Which means that...", Rachel replied in a tone relief and excitement, only to cut herself off upon remembering whom it was that she had socked in the face.

" Ah...Sorry about using my staff on you Alex, I wasn't sure if it was really you or you'd been transformed by this point...", the young blonde sincerely stated, only to stop herself short upon seeing the beaming look of happiness in her friend's eye. "Alex...are you okay?"

"Oh Rachel-san, I'm so happy to see you", she replied with happy glee as glomped her surprised blonde friend. "Oh, we were so worried about you and everyone else, but look at you, still your adorable self! Oh, I'm so happy!"

"Uh, Yes...I'm happy to see you too Alex...I think", the young girl replied in a somewhat embarrassed tone, one which quickly went away the instant Alex released the grasp she had on her slender body.

"Well, this certainly is a pleasant surprise, isn't it", Nigel asked in his usual calm yet suave tone.

"I'll say, I wasn't expecting to run into you two like this. But to be fair, I never gave up hope that members of Sector V would somehow be able to survive the massacre", she calmly replied, her words bringing a smile to the boy's face.

"Oh please, I'm even surprised he's lasted this long, what with how reckless he's been up here alone", the curly haired mutant replied in a sarcastic tone, one which both she and Rachel could not help but laugh at as the annoyance inside of Nigel grew.

"That's enough Two-Seventy-Three", the bald leader replied in a tone of great annoyance.

"No, it's alright Nigel; I needed a good laugh. Especially after all of that running and hiding I've been doing", she calmly replied, her words catching both the attention of the bald leader and the mutant child.

"Wait a minute, how long have you been in hiding", he asked in a tone of curious concern.

"Only the last hour or so", she calmly explained. "I went into hiding once I had escaped and overheard Grandfather ordering his minions to find and transform me, so that one of them could gain some of his will money as a reward. But that didn't stop me from phoning him up and sternly voicing my disgust and revelation towards his plans."

"You told Grandfather off! Oh, wait a go girl! I would have loved have been there, then I could have seen the look on his old face when you verbally pwned him", Alex replied with great excitement and fangirl gush.

"Was there anyone else who managed to escape with you Rachel", the young leader asked, only for a look of deep sorrow to form on the young Supreme Leader's face as he did so.

"I wish I could tell you that there were others that escaped along side me Nigel...but I'm afraid I wouldn't be honest if I did so", Rachel replied in a calm yet sorrowful tone.

"So no one else escaped with you", he calmly yet curiously asked.

"I'm afraid not...You see, I had chosen to fight Patton shortly before and had come out victorious. But once I had finished my battle with him, I noticed that Fanny was in trouble. I wanted to help her, but she told me to do the smart thing and leave her and Numbuh 2 behind", she sorrowfully replied as she shocked both Nigel and Alex with her answer.

"I didn't want to...but what other choice did I have? If I chose to stay and fight, not only would I have put both Fanny and Numbuh 2 in grave danger, I would also have run the risk of becoming one of Grandfather's puppets; and outcome which none of us wanted...", the young girl sorrowfully finished, her answer still provoking shock throughout her friends systems as she did so.

"So then 86-chan...", the mutant girl softly replied in shock, unable to finish her sentence.

"And Hoagie are...", the British bald boy softly replied in shock, unable to finish his sentence as well.

"I'm afraid so...", the young blonde replied in a tone of deep melancholy as silence encased the small area. It was a silence that did not last long however, given that the surprised, almost panicked looking Nigel opened his mouth to speak.

"What about Wally and Kuki?...Surely they must have gotten out unharmed, right?...Right...", the British bald boy asked in a shaky tone, trying his hardest to keep his faith as best he could. His answer however, seemed not so forgiving as the sorrow filled look on Rachel's face would suggest.

"They probably would've been...if I hadn't allowed them to retrieve an important item that Hoagie needed from your tree house...I'm sorry Nigel...", she replied in a soft, yet sorrow filled tone.

And yet she could not help but feel deep regret as she watched her good friend clench his fists in anger. For Nigel, it was the ultimate price he had to pay for his mistake, a price which both gave him great pain and great aggravation; the loss of his dear friends save for one.

"Let's go then", replied the determined mutant brunette, her answer surprising her leader enough for him to turn and face her. " That bastard...he's already consumed enough of what we love for today...but now that he has our dear friends, we have more reason to give him a Double Whammy Chop to the ass", she replied with fierce determination, the kind which brought a small smile of reassurance to the young boy.

"You're right. Let's get going then", Nigel replied in his usual tone of seriousness and determination.

"Wait a minute, just what exactly are you two planning to do", asked the young blonde whom had been temporarily forgotten.

But upon her asking that innocent question, it caused both the British bald boy and the mutant brunette to cringe in fear and nervousness; just how they explain a plan this big to her.

"Well, you see Rachel, we're not really sure if we can tell you what we're planning to do", the bald boy replied in a slight tone of nervousness.

"What to you mean", Rachel asked as she cocked her eyebrow in suspicion.

"Well, to be perfectly honest...", he began.

"You won't like it...at all", the mutant brunette bluntly finished, flexing her arms out in a crossing motion to exemplify this statement.

"Try me", the young blonde replied in an almost sarcastic tone as her two friends looked at each other in deep regret. If she really wanted to know, they might as well just get it over it, regardless of her reaction.

...

The many hallways of Kids Next Door Global Command; they always seemed so uninviting and eerie in their solitary silence. But if there was one thing most people were certain of with these hallways, is that they had great echoing capabilities. It was a feet that proved itself true as Rachel could be heard shouting the word "what", the re-verb it caused creating a beautiful echo that could be heard through the bases many corridors.

"You're going to plow my Moon Base into Grandfather, just so you can decommission him", Rachel asked in a tone of great anger and annoyance, one similar to her earlier argument with her bald friend.

"Well, that's technically the idea", Nigel calmly replied, showing only a small sign of slight nervousness in his voice.

"See, we told you you wouldn't like it", Alex replied, unable to hide the obvious nervous tone in her voice like her leader and friend could.

"Nigel Uno, you have said and done some pretty stupid things before, but this is by far the stupidest, most reckless idea I've ever heard come out of your mouth! Do you have any idea how much damage a base this size would cause if it impacted anywhere in the Earth, let alone how many lives operatives or otherwise you'd be putting at risk", she asked in a tone of deep anger, one which somewhat annoyed the mutant girl as she went to speak up.

"Look, we don't want any casualties either, but don't have any other options at this point", the mutant child replied in a tone of deep annoyance.

"Besides, it was all Numbuh 0's idea, blame him", she instantly replied in a now whiny tone, her words however, were what caused a look of surprise to wash over the young blonde's face.

"Numbuh 0...", she softly spoke, alerting the now more stern attention of her two friends.

"I take it that you still believe that he's a myth made to inspire dreamers", he asked in a clam yet stern tone as he stood to sternly face his good but sorrowful looking friend.

"I probably would...but to be honest...I've been re-analyzing my thoughts on the matter for quite some time now...There's still the more logical side of me that keeps proclaiming him as a myth...And yet...I can't help but feel that if Grandfather exists...he must exist as well", the young girl calm explained to her more calm yet stern friends.

"I see...but what is your conclusion on the matter", the British bald boy asked, giving her a small moment of silence to further determine her words as she opened her mouth to speak once more.

"Ultimately, I'm begging to believe that he must be real if you believe in him so much. Besides, Nigel, if you'd been lying, than Alex would have already called you out on your bluff", she calmly replied, her words bringing a small smile to the bald boy's stern face.

It was then a small but happy silence encased the now lightened mood, one which was only broken upon Rachel opening her mouth to speak once more.

"Now then...Am I to assume that Numbuh 0 shares the same identity of your father", the young girl asked in a slight cocky tone, one which brought a small smirk to Nigel's face.

"You'd be correct", he replied in a similar cocky tone. "What gave it away?"

"Just a hunch", she replied in a slight cocky tone.

"So, your idol was right underneath your roof this entire time, it must be rewarding to know that you're the son of the legendary hero himself", the young girl calmly stated in her usual confident tone.

"It is very rewarding...Although...it does have its drawbacks...", he began in a generally casual tone, only to switch to a tone of slight disappointment, one which confused the young blonde.

"What do you mean", she curiously asked.

"What he means is that Numbuh 0 shares a dark connection with Grandfather...and in turn...so do we...", Alex bluntly yet sorrowfully stated, only furthering the young blonde's confusion.

"We?...Why would both of you share a connection with that man", she asked in a very confused tone. She was only about to get her answer as the two friends began to stare at her, slightly sorrowful expressions now plastered on their faces as they did so.

"Well, to put it in simple terms...He is a part of me...and I am a part of him", the mutant girl replied in a somber tone as she revealed the fancy G marking tattooed on her right wrist, a mark which shocked her blonde friend.

"An that's not all...My father...is his son", the the bald leader replied in mild somber, a reply which ever increased Rachel's surprise.

"But then that would make you...", the young girl began, the ultimate surprise of this revelation too much for her to bear, or even complete her sentence with. All she really needed was a nod from Nigel for clarification that what she believed true was in fact correct.

"I...I don't know what to say", the young girl replied in deep tone of somber as she continued to search for words that could describe her feelings towards this revelation. But in all honesty, what really could be said? "I'm not, really sure what I can say...other than that I feel so sorry for both of you..."

"Don't be", he replied, his words giving her a great shock as she looked up to face him once more. "I'll deal with my heritage later, but right now all that matters to me is that we stop Grandfather and save the world."

His words were a clear indication of his feelings as he smiled a determination yet stern smile, when which Rachel could not help but smile at.

"I understand", she humbly replied. In no way do I approve of what you two are planning to do, but I can at least understand where both of you are coming from with this plan of yours..."

"After all...even I can understand attempting something that might seem crazy to someone else", she softly replied, her words sending confusion towards Nigel.

"What do you mean", he asked in obvious curiosity.

"Do you remember when I told you about my fight with Patton", she calmly asked.

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with anything", the mutant girl calmly asked.

"Well, you see...our fight was rather intense, even though my fore-knowledge of Patton's fighting style helped me out. But even I am not immune to making mistakes in battle, which I did. But there was something I noticed. There where many instances where I fumbled up, many instances where Patton could have transformed me and have gotten it over with, but he never took them. It was was almost as if he were trying to do his job, but he didn't want to, or rather...he couldn't...", the young girl calmly explained as her observations hit a now wide-eyed Alex with realization.

"Wait, are you trying to say that you think he's trying to fight the darkness overtaking him", she asked in great curiosity.

"I am, or at least that's what I've been hypothesizing for awhile now", the young girl replied.

"Are you certain about that", the young bald boy asked in stern curiosity.

"I am", the young girl replied. "You see, while I was scurrying the base for another hiding place, I overheard Patton talking to Fanny. They were arguing as usual, with Patton saying that he should be the one to conform me. When asked why, he said that he felt like only he could do it, that only he could give me a painless transformation and no one else could".

"So you believe that part of his true will is still inside of him, fighting with the darkness now in him", Nigel sternly asked.

"Precisely", she replied in a stern yet calm tone. "I will admit that I am happy to know this knowledge, but I am worried as to how much he can withstand. After all, battling yourself is not an easy task to overcome, even for someone as strong as Patton..."

"Well battling your inner demons is no easy task for anyone, especially if they have hidden sensitivity like Patton-san. But you don't believe that he'll last very very long...do you", the mutant girl calmly asked.

"I doubt it...My greatest fear is that he'll be driven towards madness if he continues to suffer like this...and I for one refuse to let it happen", the young girl replied in low yet fierce determination, a deep, determined fire clear in her soft voice and beautiful chocolate eyes.

"You're really determined to save him, aren't you", the British boy asked in calm surprise.

"Well of course she is, considering how she's so obviously in love with him", the mutant girl bluntly replied, her words bringing only light blush to her female friend's cheeks, and only furthering her male friend's annoyance with her.

"Two-Seventy-Three", Nigel yelled in deep anger and annoyance.

"Oh come on, someone had to say it sooner or later. And besides, her having romantic feeling for Freezer Boy is just about as obvious as Soul having deeper feelings for Maka", Alex replied in a tone of deep arrogance and snarkiness.

"Must you always tie your conclusions to a reference", he asked in a tone of deep annoyance.

"Well of course, I'm a Pop Culture geek. Besides, you know I can't keep my mouth shut for too long", she replied in a snarky tone.

"But that doesn't mean you should blurt out everything you're thinking! Besides, for all you know, you're opinion could be wrong. Isn't that right, Rachel", the British bald boy asked his friend in a much calmer tone, only for her to keep avoiding his eye contact, almost as if Alex had in fact been correct in her assumption.

"I know I shouldn't be admitting this, even to you two...but I'm afraid that Alex is right in this case...I love Patton...much more than he would probably ever care to know...", she admitted in a low, almost whispered tone, one which shocked her stubborn British friend, but only mildly enlightened her brunette friend.

"That's why I've decided to Patton and attempt returning him to his true self-conscious...I know that it goes against what I declared earlier to Grandfather...but because of how I feel towards him...I will gladly put my freedom on the line if it means saving his sanity", the young girl declared in in a soft, yet determined tone, one which encased the area with silence once more.

A silence which only felt itself break upon the young British leader now opening his mouth to speak, a calm, almost stern and observant aura now encasing his body as he did so.

"That's very brave of you Rachel, to take on a huge task such as what your attempting. But I must ask; are you sure that you can handle this", he asked in a calm, almost suave tone as he awaited his answer.

" I appreciate your concern Nigel. However, I don't need you to act as my Guardian Angel on every decision I make", she replied in a calm tone, continuing to stand her ground regardless.

"I understand that, I just want to you to be certain of what a huge risk you'll be taking", he replied, his voice seeming to raise itself a bit with obvious frustration.

"I've always been aware of the risk I'd be putting myself at, I've been aware of that risk since I made my decision. And in spite, I'm still prepared to take that risk regardless of consequence", the young girl replied, her voice continuing to rise in fierce determination.

"Again, I understand, but I think it's best for your safety that you don't take that risk", the young boy replied as his mild feelings of anger began to rise to the surface as he continued to stare at his good friend in deep frustration.

"Nigel, I can understand where your heart is in this situation, but I can't risk letting Patton loose himself to the clutches of human insanity", she replied, the deep frustration she'd been holding back now beginning to rise as if it had always been present.

"Wow, this is really starting to sound like something out of _Soul Eater_", the mutant girl replied in keen observation.

"Listen Rachel, I'd rather not see a great comrade like Patton loose himself either. But at this point, your safety is much more important than risking your life for him", the suave British leader replied in a tone of obvious frustration and concern.

His words however did not bring joy to his good female friend however. Instead, they left her with nothing more than a deep look of anger clear lit in her chocolate brown eyes as she continued to stare at her good friend.

"But you would do the same for Lizzie, wouldn't you", she asked in a tone of deep anger mixed with frustration.

"I would. But even if risked my life for my team, I would take my own safety into consideration, and I'm much more reckless than you are", he replied in deep frustration, one which continued to boil into hidden anger as she continued to stare at him in deep anger.

"Besides Rachel, even if you could withstand his power in the form that he's in, there's probably nothing you can do until we defeat Grandfather", he replied in deep frustration.

" I understand that, but I can't wait until then to know whether Patton is truly himself or otherwise. As it is, I've already made enough mistakes today, and I don't intend to make another", the young girl replied, her voice now clearly filled with anger and deep frustration as she continued to voice her opinion.

"Well I've already made enough mistakes myself for today, and I refuse to watch or know that another friend or comrade fall because of me", the British bald boy replied as his anger filled tone continued to seep through his usually suave sounding voice.

A tension felt itself arise amongst these two friends as they continued to stare at each other in anger, a tension which transformed into a deep moment of silence. The British leader and the Supreme Leader continued to stare in deep yet angered intent at one another, as if to say they would stand their ground. It was a tension of great decision, but also one of great discomfort on Alex's part as sh e went to break the silence for her friends.

"Wow, this was certainly a great conversation wasn't it", the mutant girl remarked as she placed her soft hands on her surprised male friend. "Well, if you two are done, Uno-san and I need to get going if we want to go hep his dad out."

"Don't we, Uno-san", she replied as her voice took on a more serious tone, reminding Nigel of their true intent.

"You're right Two-Seventy-Three...Besides, I doubt that our dear friend here won't be changing her mind any time soon", the young bald boy replied in a tone of mild, yet subdued annoyance as he looked back towards his friend.

"My mind has already been made up. Although, I will take your advice on putting my safety into consideration", the young girl replied in a stern, yet soft spoken tone as she too stared at her good friend.

"I see", he sternly yet calmly replied.

"Aww, that's great. Now let's get going", the mutant girl replied as she attempted to push her British friend towards the

exit. "The sooner we terminate you Son of a Bitch Grandpa, the better."

"You really hate him, don't you", the British boy asked in a tone of mild surprise.

"Of course", she replied. "Although to be fair, it is hard not to hate someone who's pretty much intent on destroying your life and everything you've ever worked for."

"I wouldn't be so sure about everyone Alex", the young Supreme Leader softly spoke, alerting her two friends.

"What", he asked in a similar soft spoken tone.

"I don't hate your Grandfather...or rather...I can't bring myself t hate him", she calmly , yet softly explained.

Her soft words however did not enlighten Nigel, if anything they made his already subsided anger rise as her words repeated themselves in his head over and over.

"How can you say that", the bald leader angrily asked as he clenched his hand into a fist, walking towards his female friend as he did so.

"Uno-san", the mutant girl replied in a panicky tone as she tried to stop him.

"Stay out of this Two-Seventy-Three", he replied in a tone of deep anger, one which surprised his mutant friend as he continued to walk over towards Rachel, surprising her as well as he tightly grabbed her arm and pulled her in close.

"How can you just say that so casually! I can understand if it were Chad or Father, but even what they've done to us and our kind is tame compared to what he's done! After all he's done, how can you say that you don't hate him! You must hate him! That man turned all of your tree houses into Tapioca Factories, transformed all of your operatives into Citizombies, and is forcing the man you love to the brink of insanity, just admit that you hate him", the young boy screamed at his leader, allowing his deep anger to finally surface.

And yet despite his his little outburst, the young blonde said nothing, she just stood there, staring at him until she finally managed to open her mouth and speak.

"It goes beyond hate for me Nigel...", the young girl explained, her words further confusing her already angered friend.

"What are you-"

"Because everything we believe in, everything we stand for, everything that makes our organization what it is, he stands against...And if he doesn't like it...he could change it with the flick of wrist...So when I think of what he's done

within the last few hours...it's not hatred, but rather fear and disgust that floods my heart...", the young girl calmly explained, the deep look of both fear and remorse clear in her eyes as she did so.

It was all she needed to say, all he needed to understand, and all that was necessary for him to see what a complete fool he had just been as he slowly released her slender arm from his grip.

"Rachel...I had no idea...", the young boy calmly stated, a low yet surprised tone clear in his voice as he continued to stare at his female friend in silence.

"I know...The angered look in your eyes made it clear", she calmly replied, causing her male friend to cringe in embarrassment.

"Yes, it would appear that way", he replied in a stern tone, attempting to cover up his mild embarrassment. "Anyways, I'm sorry Rachel-"

"It's alright, I understand", the young girl calmly yet sincerely stated as her words brought a smile to her good friend.

Now, it was as if the tension was never there at all. For now, all that seemed to exist was their loyalty as friends to one another, their smiles proving their friendly bond of trust and companionship as the case may be. It was a sight which warmed the heart of the petite mutant girl, and yet not enough to make her forget about the mission momentarily.

"Uno-san, we've got to get going", Alex sternly stated, alerting her friends once more. "If we don't get to the bridge soon, we'll miss our chance to enact our plan."

"Right", Nigel sternly replied as he turned to face his friend one last time in mild cockiness. " So, are you still confident in what you're attempting to do?"

"I am", she cockily replied back. "Think you two can accomplish such an enormous task by yourselves?"

"I feel confident that we can", he replied back in a slightly cocky manner as he'd done before.

"Oh totally. Besides, if Ivan Ooze can turn a bunch of brainless parents into brainless zombies, I'm sure we can crash thirty-nine gazillion tons of metal and duck tape into that black bearded egotist", the mutant brunette replied with great pride, only for her tow friends to look at her in modest surprise.

"You watched Power Rangers", the two friends asked in unison.

"Ah...Well, I watched it a little bit when I was younger, but I only started re-watching the first three seasons because Johnny Young Bosch plays the second...black...Power Ranger...", she explained in a tone of mild embarrassment, her friend staring at her with great disbelief.

"What? I like Johnny Young Bosch...and damn everyone who doesn't", she decreed in typical fan-girl wrath.

"Right...Anyways Nigel, I would like to apologize for-"

"Apology accepted Rachel", the young boy calmly stated, his words surprising his leader in the long run. "Now then, see you later."

"Uh, yeah...you too", the young girl replied in a tone of awkward expectancy as she watched him run off into the corridors, feeling happy yet surprised that he took her apology so well.

But before she could be free of surprises for now, the young girl felt her hands become grasped by her darling mutant friend. A wide smile was on her face as she caressed her hands tightly in her own.

"Gambaterezo...Rachel-san", Alex happily replied as she muttered the Japanese phrase for "Good Luck", her words bringing a small smile to the young blonde's face as she spoke them.

"Arigato", Rachel softly replied, muttering the Japanese word for "Thank you".

"Domotashimas", the mutant brunette replied, all the while muttering the Japanese word for "You're welcome."

With a small wink, the mutant girl rushed off to join her stubborn male friend. It was a sight which left a small smile, and a load of confidence in the young warrior's heart as she began to run in the opposite direction, feeling that by chance, she would get her next encounter with her dearly beloved.

...

The hallways of Global Command; they seemed to keep their errieness as the two friends ran down the corridor, determination clear on their pleasant faces as they continued to run towards their destination. Things seemed to be going smoothly for them, that is until Nigel stopped dead in his tracks, a sight which confused the young brunette as she too came to a complete.

"Doshtano, Uno-san", Alex asked in deep concern, all the while muttering the Japanese phrase for "what's wrong."

"There's just something I don't understand...Why...Why would she have chosen now of all times to apologize to me...", Nigel asked in deep confusion.

"It's probably because...that's just who Rachel is", the mutant girl calmly replied, her words causing her bald friend to turn and face her in surprise.

"Rachel-san is the type to carry herself high and proud, a person almost gleaming with confidence and logic upon her shoulders. And yet, she neither arrogant, nor smug about it; she understands that she herself is flawed, and therefore seeks to apologize should she make a mistake...True, she might understand that now wasn't the most appropriate time for an apology...but her guilt probably lingered inside her long enough for her selflessness to overtake her regardless of appropriateness...At least...I think that's your answer...", she calmly explained to her bald friend, causing him to smile for just a solitary moment.

"You know, somehow I think you're right in saying that", the young bald boy replied in a tone of relief, one which brought a smile to his friend's face.

"Now, let's get going", the suave boy replied as his tone switched to his normal, authoritative voice, one which caused Alex to nod in determination.

"Hai", she replied in a determined tone, all the while muttering the Japanese word for "Yes".

And with a stroke of two words, the two friends began to run towards their destination once more, a fleeting pace of adrenaline, and determination clear in their hearts as they did so.

End Will Two


	3. Chapter 3

Warrior Wills

Will Three: To Love

by Prettywitchiusaka

Though it was said once, it could not be stated any better; the eerie, uninviting hallways of Global Command seemed not out of place the devastating situation which had befallen such a prestigious symbol. It was this thought, as well as the thought of it being generic thinking which ran through Rachel's head as she walked up towards one of the bases many crossway bridges. It had been nearly ten minutes from her departure with her good friends, and yet she had not come across a single danger in that amount of time, a fact which left her feeling rather suspicious. That dangers however, finally came to her in the form of a citizombie; crashing its way down to the floor as the giant thud it created startled the young blonde. One look however made her realize that this was no ordinary Citizombie, but rather one she knew well; Patton.

"Hello Rachel", Patton said in a low, yet sinister tone as an evil smile grazed his face. A smile which did nothing for Rachel, except for pull at her delicate heart strings.

"Patton...", she replied in a low tone of sorrow and disbelief, emotions managed to cover in time as a stern look now grazed her beautiful face.

"You know, it's funny; I'd say it's a shock to see you've made it in one piece, and yet I'm not so surprised. You are after all the prestigious and talented Rachel, such a feet for survival would be an easy task for you...and a task which would make you all the more irresistible...", he replied in a sinister, almost seductive tone, one which gave the young girl mild surprise.

"I see...", she replied in a low, calm tone as her face returned to sternness, choosing to ignore hie last comment. "Anyway, I assume you know the reason why I've sought you out?"

"Does it really matter", he asked.

"It usually does to you", she sternly replied.

"Perhaps, but at this very moment, my mission is much more important than such trivial answers. True, everyone is now assigned with the burden of conforming you, but I intend to succeed in my task given to me", the Drill Sergeant replied rather sinisterly yet triumphantly.

While his answer did not faze the young girl's stern composure, it did bring about an important question to her once more.

"You mentioned a task before in our previous fight. Just what is this task you're talking about", she sternly asked her old friend, only for him to smile at her in evil delight.

"A simple task; a task which allows me to be the only one capable of bringing your downfall", Patton replied rather sinisterly, his words bringing shock to the young girl's face, and heart.

"What?...But...why...", she slowly asked, too stunned to even finish her own sentence.

"Because, Grandfather felt that it would be...amusing to know that your suffering resulted from the hands of someone you care for", he sinisterly replied.

"And you took that order", she asked stunned disbelief.

"But of course; if there is anyone who can bring you pain Rachel, it would be me. And believe me, I would be happy to oblige", the Drill Sergeant replied in a tone of deep, almost seductive sinisterness as he smiled at his friend with evil intent.

True, the shock from his words was much to bear, and yet the young blonde refused to give in so easily. Knowing her goal was now in reach of her hands, she allowed her stern composure to overtake her once more as she stood to face him.

"Very well then...I don't want to fight you Patton-"

"Well now, that's your misfortune", he replied in a rather devious tone.

"You didn't let me finish; I don't want to fight you, but if I'm forced to do so, then I'll put my life on the line if it will save yours", the young girl replied in a strong yet fierce tone, holding her staff up to him as if it were a sword.

Although shocked by her resolution, the old Drill Sergeant now felt anger overcome him as he began to silently growl at her in anger.

"Very well then...Just know you'll be sorry when I'm finished with you", Patton replied in an angry, yet devious sounding tone as he put himself in an ogmented block stance.

The silence which swept the room was one of intensity, a silence of dignity and determination as the two opponents faced one another, prepared to overpower one another. The silence was broken however as the two opponents fiercely lunged towards each other, only to collide as their hands met, wrestling upon Rachel's Yield Staff. Though she used all her strength to wrestle him off of her staff, the old Drill Sergeant quickly landed to his feet as he went to savagely attack his dear friend once more. See his hand curl into a fist, the young girl used her Yield sign to block his punch as she proceeded to send him a powerful round-house kick to the stomach, only for Patton dodge as he went to punch her once more. This act itself set off a chain reaction of offensive and defensive punches and kicks from both parties as their fight continued across the bridge, fighting as though there were no tomorrow.

"You might as well give it up while you still can Rachel, or have you forgotten that I know you fighting style like the back of my hand", Patton asked in a teasing manner as he went to punch her once more, only for Rachel to block with her staff and punch him herself in defence.

"I haven't, but from the looks of it, I guess becoming a Citizombie hasn't made you any less impulsive", Rachel replied in a stern, almost teasing return tone.

Her words made Patton angry, angry enough that ended his staggering and began to fiercely punch and kick at her. To defend herself, the young girl used her staff as a defensive tool once more, bring quick to respond to his every move.

"How come you keep resisting? Just let me transform you and get it over with", the old Drill Sergeant angrily replied.

"You know I can't do that", she replied in a stern tone as she continued to defend against everything he threw her way.

"But there's nothing left for you to fight for. Eventually, you'll have no choice but to give up this pointless resistance. Eventually, you'll have no choice but to surrender your freedom to him", he angrily replied.

"There's always a cause worth fighting for, you'd know that if you were really Patton", she sternly replied, her words only angering Patton once more.

"I am Patton", the old Drill Sergeant angrily decreed as he grabbed a hold of her staff once more. True, his action had surprised her, but it wasn't enough to let Rachel give up as she began to wrestle with him once more.

"Just surrender yourself to me Rachel...If you do, I can give you a painless transformation...I can blissfully reawaken you, and let you stat life anew without any suffering..."he replied in a low, almost sincere sounding tone.

True, his deceleration may have sent shock running through the young girl's head. But never the less, it was all the prof she needed in order to continue with her mission as she continued to wrestle with her dear friend.

"Why would you care so much", she asked in a tone of clear struggle.

"Isn't it obvious? I want to protect you form his wrath, I want to keep you safe and protected from the likes of him", Patton replied in a genuinely sincere tone.

And yet as he uttered those words, all the old Drill Sergeant could feel running through his head was pain. A pain so unbearable and pain shattering that it made him release his grip of the staff to hold his head is desperation. It was a sight which sent a wave of sorrow running through the young blonde, and yet it was one she could easily shrug off, because this sight made it easy for her to remember her mission.

"I see", she softly replied as she sternly ran towards him once more, only for him to notice and raise in arms in a defensive block. Releasing his arms form the block, he flung across to the other side of the bridge, only for her to land to her feet as he lunged towards her once more.

"You can't tell me that this is what you want Patton, or that you honestly believe in what you're doing is right", the young girl sternly replied, using her staff as a blocking weapon once more.

"How would you know what I want", the old Drill Sergeant angrily asked as he continued to throw numerous punches at her.

What he did not expect however, was for the young girl use her staff as a pole vault, landing gracefully to her feet on the other side, hitting square jaw in the face with a graceful kick as she did.

"Because I know you Patton; I know that you would never view tyranny and conformity as correct" she sternly replied as he continued to send an evil smirk her way.

"Maybe before, but not after having my eyes opened. Now I see why I was never becoming stronger, now I see why I could never let go of my fear; in order to gain power, you must trample and oppress those weaker than you, for mortals are nothing roe than pawns t o be used for control of your every whim", Patton replied in a deep, sinister tone.

His words may have disgusted and horrified his good friend, yet it was not enough for her to give up on her mission entirely as she stood tall before him.

"Listen to yourself; that's not what you believe, that's what Grandfather believes. You're just allowing yourself to be led astray by the ideals of a man you know you'd never willingly follow", Rachel replied in a tone of deep angered, yet stern authority as Patton scaufed at her.

"You just fail to see the possibilities of gaining power through conformity; all are pawns who follow diligently, and soon you too will surcome to it's seduction. Nothing else matters more than that", he replied in a chilling, yet sinister tone, one which Rachel scaufed at herself in retaliation.

"Funny; you say that, and yet you treat me no different than you ever have before", she sternly yet calmly replied, her words sending a seedling of shock vibrating through his body as his eyes widened in surprise.

"What do you mean", he calmly asked.

"You know what I mean by that, you don't treat me any differently from before; your insults are more sophisticated, but they're nothing more than harmless jabs. You fight with vicious intent, but you keep holding back. You claim to conform and give me rebirth, but you act as though you want to protect me as opposed to hurting me", the young girl sternly explained to him, only for her dear friend to laugh in mild amusement.

"How adorable. You know, if you're words weren't already so pathetic, I'd almost say you were correct. Too bad you're not", Patton replied in a sinister, almost amused tone.

"Oh really? Then tell me Patton; why did you take that order from Grandfather", she sternly asked.

"Simple; to prove my my loyalties to my new master, and to break my ties with you", he replied in a sinister tone, one which did not budge the wise young warrior.

"You say that, and yet your actions state otherwise...Or perhaps, you've been aware of that all along...", she replied, her words once more bringing a wave of hock over her dear friend once more.

"What", he asked in anger and shock.

"You may not be aware of it Patton, but perhaps subconsciously you only took that order as an excuse to see me again", she sternly explained, her words only furthering the old Drill Sergeant's shock and anger.

"Why would I do something like that", he angrily asked.

"How should I know? Maybe I act as a tranquilizer for you; maybe you believed that by seeing or even talking to me that it would help you regain your true self", Rachel sternly stated.

Her words, their effective pain to his soul was greater than having his body impaled. Her words, they sent shivers down his spine and into his heart as he began to recall memories; vague memories of him calling out to his beloved friend, begging her, pleading for her to notice him. These memories, they did not last long as he brought himself back to his Citizombies sense, more anger than ever before pulsing through him as he turned to face his dear friend once more.

"That's bullshit", Patton angrily replied. "I took that order so that I may please my master and bring about your pitiful downfall!"

"Then why haven't you transformed me", the young girl asked as she raised the sternness in her tone.

Her words, they sent a shiver down his spine once more as he looked at his clawed, desaturated hand. Her words, they frightened him, and deeply so as he continued to stare at his hand.

"There were numerous times where you could have ended it, numerous times where you could have easily used my mistakes to your advantage and get it over with, but you never took them. It's almost as if you don't want to transform me, appeasement or otherwise", Rachel sternly explained to him, her words sending a shiver of freight down his spine once more before he allowed his anger to overtake him once more.

"That's bull crap", the old Drill Sergeant angrily stated as he went to attack his friend once more, causing Rachel to put up her defence once more.

"You know that it's not crap", she sternly replied as she continued to use her Yield Staff as a defensive tool against him.

"Face it Rachel, the Patton you knew is dead; who I am now is who I'll remain until I lye rotting in a grave", he replied in a mixed tone of sinister and anger.

"Alright. Then tell me, what's the best way to prepare a cadet for combat", she asked him.

"You need to be tough with them, but you also need to let them make their own mistakes, otherwise they'll learn nothing", he answered. But as he did, all he could feel in his head was the pain once more.

While it did not stop him from attacking the young blonde once more, it did give her enough momentum to continue with her plan.

"And what about freedom; do you believe that all evil should be conformed, or should they be allowed to choose their own fates and destinies, even if we oppose them", she sternly asked him once more.

"Oh come on, you know that as much as I hate evil people that it's their choice", he answered, only to feel the pain once more. It did keep him from lunging at her once more, but a punch which sent her into the railing was all she needed for her next move.

"What if I fell over this ledge; would you laugh at my defeat, or would you risk your life attempting to save mine", she sternly asked him.

"Are you crazy? Of course I'd risk my life to save yours, I wouldn't want you to die Rachel...I couldn't-", he began as he was cut off by his pain once more.

It was a pain which agonized him, a pain which brought him to his knees s he continued to howl in great pain.

"See Patton; you don't want to let go of the past, you don't want to become this monster...because you know that that's not who you are...", Rachel softly yet sternly replied as she continued to walk over towards her friend.

The look in his eyes; it was filled with pain, remorse, and above all, confusion. It was a pain which seemed undeniable to the young female warrior as she now stood to face him, allowing silence to encase their moment alone before opening her mouth to speak once more.

"Look...I under that your confused right now...But I'm sure if you look into your heart, you'll see just how simple you answers really are Patton...", the young girl softly replied as she held out her gloved hand towards him, allowing her lovely smile to graze her beautiful face.

That smile, it was all that Patton could see as his gaze reached hers once more. That warm, bright smile, ti was all he could remember as he reached for her gloved hand. Yet fate seemed only cruel once more as the young Drill Sergeant felt a surge of pain overcome his head once more. It was a pain which seemed to divide his consciousness, yet furthered the young blonde's concern for her dearly beloved. Yet upon hearing an evil cackle began to emit from his old mouth, it was now fear which overcame her as she watched her love, now seemingly overtaken by the darkness inside of him.

"You think it's that easy? You think your petty, naive words can persuade me! Since you do, allow me to show you just how wrong you are! I'll prove my myself worthy of my new master! I'll eradicate your rebellious thoughts and make you worship him", the old Drill Sergeant replied in deep anger as he viciously lunged himself towards Rachel, who could o no more than throw her staff up in defence once more.

The fight's intensity continued to increase as the Drill Sergeant's power continually rose, his determination towards the young girl gradually increasing. True, the fight for survival was now more a burden for Rachel as she struggled to keep on fighting. But in truth it was not the physical toll which pained her, but more so the fragile heart beating inside her as she began to reminisce; memories of Patton teasing her about her bad drawing skills, memories of Patton telling off villains and calmly cheering her on, memories of Patton setting forth his hidden kindness. Yet all these memories could do was tug at her heartstrings, furthering her emotional realization that all she desired at this very moment, was him. It was a realization of deep truth and love, yet one distracting enough for her opponent to not only send a powerful punch to her gut, but also her face as the graceful warrior collapsed to the ground in a heap. It was a sight which released a chuckle of amusement from the old Drill Sergeant as he stared at eh young Supreme Leader as she lay on the ground, wincing in pain.

"So tell me Rachel, what will your next pathetic attempt be", he asked in a tone of renewed sinisterness.

His words, they were words which plagued Rachel as she began to slowly bring herself to her feet, her body in obvious pain she she did so. She could not say, nor depend on what she attempted to do, all she could do was try. And yet, as she closed her beautiful and encased their confrontation in silence, she committed something he did not expect; she loosened the grip on her staff, allowing it to fall to the ground while a warm smile remained present on her face.

"Wha...What", he asked, his shock obvious in both his expression, and his voice.

"I forefit...I graciously allow you your chance at victory", she calmly explained to him. Yet even as she explained herself, her words were ones that did not sit well with him.

"What?...No...No, that's not...that can't be...You'd never give up a fight so easily...So why would you all of the sudden-

"Because I realized...I can't, nor to I wish to fight you anymore...", the young girl replied in a soft, calm tone as she opened her beautiful chocolate brown eyes to look and smile at him once more.

"But why would you-"

"Because I love you Patton", she calmly yet sweetly replied as her words sent shock waves through the Drill Sergeant's heart and mind as he heard her words of love.

"That's why I forfeit myself to you...", Rachel calmly yet sorrowfully replied as she collapsed to her knees in defeat, further surprising her dearly beloved once more. "I may desire peace and trust between kids and adults...but I also wish for your heart to be mine...But if there is no future for us as we are...then I will submit to your power, and live as a Citizombie with you..."

"Rachel", he whispered in a tone of deep shock and sorrow. It was sorrow however, that did not last long as his Citizombie senses overtook him once more.

They made him walk over to his sunken friend, in preparation to make her now supposed wish reality, yet not without hesitation on his part.

"Are you certain of this", he asked her rather bluntly.

"I am", she calmly replied.

"Are you? If you make the wrong decision, you could end up risking everything you're fighting for", he bluntly replied.

"What do I have left to loose?", she calmly asked. " I've already lost everything that ever mattered to me, there's nothing left I can fight for. Sure, I said that there's always a task worth fighting for, but I can't go on believing that when I know I have nothing left to defend except myself?...

"But...Very well then...prepare yourself for sweet rebirth", the old Drill Sergeant replied in a tone of deep sinister threat as he flexed out his clawed hand, determined to now finish the job he started.

Yet all he could feel build up inside of him was panic, panic that he could not even move his hand towards her head to touch her, regardless of how many times he attempted so.

"You can't do it, can you...", she asked the panicky Patton as she raised her gaze to his, her eyes filled not with sorrow, but with stern determination. "Or rather...You don't want to..."

"But...But-"

"Enough Patton, if you were really loyal to Grandfather, you wouldn't be hesitant to transform me, and yet you are. Therefore, it only begs the question...who are you really loyal to...", she sternly asked him as fear remained eminent in his eyes.

As her words reached him, the old Drill Sergeant could not help but feel shock overcome him as he began to recall his memories; his sweet, precious memories of the strong yet kind girl he cared so deeply for, his true "Queen" as the case may be. It was the type of pain which collapsed him to his knees, screaming in undeniable pain as his head began to loop in circles; Rachel, or Grandfather, where did his true loyalties lie. It was also the type of pain however which sent Rachel into a deep panic as she crawled towards her friend, praying that there was something she could do.

"Patton! Patton, it's okay", she screamed as she attempted to caress her hand in his, only for her to fail at he continued to hold his hands towards his head in deep pain.

His screams, they were screams of confusion and deep desperation. They were screams she could not ignore any longer as she sorrowfully caressed his wrinkly cheek with her gloved hand, putting an end to his heart shattering wailing.

"You don't have anything to fear anymore Patton...So please...", she sorrowfully professed as she continued to stare at the wide eyed, tearful Drill Sergeant, knowing that she too would be on the verge of tears herself. "Come back to me...please come back to me..."

A silence of tension encased the room, a deep silence which made the melancholy induced Patton realize something; a spark of happiness was blooming inside of him as he heard her words. It was as though their souls had now met for a spiritual moment, allowing him to take her soft hand in acceptance as they smiled warmly at one another. But within realities bounds, all he could feel was a calm surge of happiness overcome him as his eyes returned to their natural black colour. It was a sight which surprised emotionally charged Rachel as he remained dazed, attempting to speak as he opened his mouth.

"I'm...I'm...I'm back...Well...sort of, I guess", the Drill Sergeant replied in a calm yet happy tone as he observed his clawed and desaturated hands. Happiness however, became over swept by concern as he noticed the teary eyed Rachel in front of him.

"Hey...Rache, what's wrong...", he asked in a tone of genuine concern, only to be unexpectedly smothered by the young girl's tight hug of sorrowful happiness.

"Welcome back Patton...", Rachel calmly whispered as she continued to smother him in unconditional love. Although surprised by her action, the boy accepted her hug as he wrapped his arms around, yet away from her slender body.

"It's good to be back Rachel", Patton calmly whispered to her.

"I know", she softly replied as she released herself from his body. "So, are you feeling?"

"Ah, okay. I feel like myself. But man, does my jaw feel sore", he commented, rubbing his jaw as he did so.

"Aww, I guess that must mean my sadistic side is coming out if your jaw is so sore", the young girl replied in a teasing tone, one which made him send a frown of annoyance towards her.

"Don't push it McKenzie", he replied in a half serious, half joking manner as she laughed at his mixed response and delivery.

"Anyway, all joking aside, I am glad to have you back Patton", she calmly yet sweetly replied.

"Yeah well, you seemed to really want me back, so I figured I might as well just pop out of nowhere any give you what you want", he replied in his usual teasing yet devious tone, all the while throwing his smirk trademark her way.

"I'll take that up as your official story", she replied in a devious tone of her own, returning his smirk with her own smirk as well.

"Alright then...So, what's the situation", he asked, switching from flirtatious to serious in a millisecond, a common occurrence for the boy.

"Not so good, I'm afraid. Grandfather's turned almost everyone in the world into his minions, including most of our Moon Base operatives. I managed to escape the assault thanks to Fanny, but aside from Nigel, Alex, Numbuh 0, myself and now you are the only Kids next Door operatives remaining", she explained in a calm yet worried tone.

While her words explained much for the Drill Sergeant, it was but one particular detail which made him raise his eyebrow in confusion.

"Numbuh 0", he asked in a tone of great confusion at the mention of the great operative's name.

"I'll explain on the way, but right now, you and I have to make it to the Main Bridge to help Nigel and Alex", she replied in a calm yet determined manner as he smirked at her once more.

"Let me guess, you'll explain on the way, won't you", he deviously replied as she returned his smirk for a brief second.

"You know me too well. Now come on, we probably don't have much time left", she determinedly replied.

"Wait...", he replied in a heartfelt, manner, one which caught her attention as she found herself lost in his sweet, brooding looking eyes for a moment or so.

"What is it Patton", Rachel calmly asked as he remained silent for a moment, only to speak once more moments later.

"I'm not sure how long I'll last like this...In fact, I'm not even sure if I can touch you without turning you into what I've become...for all I know, I could end up being a burden to you...and the rest of Sector V when we met up with them", he replied in a low tone of melancholy.

"I know...", she calmly replied as melancholy appeared in her own tone. " I don't know myself how long you'll last like this...But I can promise you that you'll be dispatched the minute you leave us again...As for the time that you do have...cherish it...", she replied as she caressed her cheek and smiled sweetly at him once more.

"Thanks", he calmly replied as he returned her sweet smile with a rare one of his own. " One last thing though, when you said that you love me...did you really mean that...", he calmly asked.

True, his question made her stare in wonderment at first, yet quickly caused her to smile at him as she opened her mouth to speak once more.

"What do you think", the young girl softly replied as she smiled at him, allowing herself to become lost in his eyes for a brief period.

"I should have known", the old Drill Sergeant happily chuckled as he returned her smile, allowing himself to be sucked into her eyes for a brief period as well.

"Let's go...", she calmly replied as their moment together ended, allowing themselves to stand up as it did.

The base shook though at they stood to their feet, a shake which took them both by pleasant shock and surprise not doubt.

"What was that", he asked in a tone of serious concern and confusion.

"I'm not sure...Unless...", the young girl sternly replied as her mind began to run through her previous conversation with Nigel; perhaps this shaking was his plan in motion.

Regardless of what caused it, there was no time to run as the mighty base began to tilt forward, taking the two renewed friends with it. The balcony forced them to a stop, but that didn't stop Rachel from screaming as she went over the railing, or Patton from screaming out her name as he went to grab her hand. He halted his hand however in deep fear, fear of her true self's safety, not that it stopped the young girl from grabbing onto his hand for leverage as the base halted once more. True, her fear of heights now dominated her system, yet somehow she came to ignore the pit below as she looked up to face her love's gaze in determination once more.

"Patton, take my hand", she determinedly said to her surprised friend.

"Forget it, I'm not betting your freedom", he sternly replied.

"You have no other choice at this point if we both want to make it out of here alive", the young girl sternly replied, only furthering the fear buried inside of her friend's heart.

"I know that!...I know that...and yet...I still don't know what will happen to you if I touch you...", he replied in a low yet clear tone of frustration.

"I know you're afraid, but even if you still have your Citizombie abilities in your current state, at least know that we'll be ourselves when we reach Earth...You have to at least try...

Her words, they were ones which brought great frustration to his mind as he made his decision. The possibility of her becoming like him brought much fear to him, yet the possibility of her existence disappearing generated in him greater fear, a fear great which made him wrap his clawed hand around her gloved one. It was then that a moment of silence occurred, a moment of in which bliss overtook them as she remained in her true state.

It was a moment of gentle happiness, yet a moment which did not last long as the base began to life itself from the straps keeping it down, beginning to crater its way towards the decaying planet. Unable to firmly grip the railing anymore, the Old Drill Sergeant felt forced to let go as him and his beloved friend continued to fall into endless abyss. She may have stood strong for this long, but their possible doom released screams of fear from the young girl as her dearly beloved held her body tightly next to his, praying that their pre-mature doom was a hoax.

...

"Rachel...Rachel...Rachel, please wake up", begged a familiar voice Rachel seemingly recognized as she began to slowly open her eyelids to the world around her.

Yet the image she witnessed came as a shock to her; the voice belonged to none other than Patton. He looked as ever his proper self, with his spiky hair and warm yet noble black eyes present as he continued to caress her.

"Patton...", she replied in mild shock as she slowly sat herself up, feeling happy to face his true self for the first time in what seemed like an eternity. "Wait...What's going on? Are you okay? You're not injured, are you-", she began to ask until she felt herself silenced by his finger on her lip.

"As much as I love how sentimental you're being right, I think you might want to take a look around first", the young boy replied in his usual devious tone as he gently helped her up from her place on the ground.

And he was right, for what she saw was a great sight of wonder; her friends, her operatives, they now remained themselves as they began helping pull people out of the rubble that was once Global Command, even taking some time off to play or stretch for a bit. It was a sight which not only warmed the depths of her troubled yet large heart, but one which also brought a warm smile to her pleasant face.

"It's a beautiful sight, isn't it...", she asked in a calm, serene sounding tone as he came to stand beside her.

"Yes it is", he confidently replied as he turned to face her. Though somewhat nervous to respond once more, he bravely sought to speak as he attempted to put his feelings into words.

"Rache", he began as he caught her undivided attention. "I want to thank you for...well, saving my ass back there."

"You're welcome Patton...I'm just glad to have you back with us...", the young girl softly replied as a warm smile grazed her face, a smile which caused him to smirk in reply.

"I know...Although, you did a pretty heroic thing back there, something which can't really go on without being remembered. Maybe even something that needs, oh I don't know, a reward", he deviously replied.

"I'm flattered that you'd think that of me, but I don't really think that a reward is necessary for me...Even if-"

Though nearly finished speaking her words, the young blonde found herself cut off upon feeling her dear friend and love's lips up against hers, resulting in a kiss. It was an action which caught her by surprise, yet wrapped her in its wonder as she closed her eyes and kissed back. A kiss which cemented their bond of love, revealed their sweet, passionate affection for one another as they released their lip lock, only to stare at each other with loving affection for a blissful moment.

"Not even if the reward involved me telling you that I love you as well", he asked in a devious tone, one which she could not help but find charming.

"I suppose that reward might not be so bad", she replied in a teasing tone, one which caused him to chuckle as they stared lovingly at one another for one last moment.

The sky; it seemed a clear reminder of the freedom almost taken away from them that day, a sign foreshadowing their inevitable fates, had they each met them. And yet, the new young couple could not look on with fear towards their recent past. Instead, they could do nothing more than smile gratefully at their near future. Knowing that the true freedom of all children would continue to shine in their presence, and that their wills would forever be theirs to control.

End Will Three

The End

Disclaimer- I do not own KND. It is the soul property of Tom Warburton, Curious Pictures and Cartoon Network. The only things I own are the stories, and of course, Numbuh 273.


End file.
